Collection: Shop Black

A vibrant, heartwarming collection of 15 middle grade stories and poems that celebrates the joy, strength, and experience of Black girlhood, including stories from Ibi Zoboi, Sharon M. Draper, and Leah Johnson, as well as cover art from Caldecott winner Vashti Harrison.

Black girl power is...

Bringing your favorite stuffed animal to your first real sleepover. . .
Escaping an eerie dollhouse that's got you trapped inside. . .
Making new friends one magical baked good at a time. . .
Finding the courage to dance to the beat of your own drum. . .

And more! From 15 legendary Black women authors comes a dazzling collection of stories and poems about the power we find in the everyday and the beauty of Black girlhood.

Contributors include: Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Dhonielle Clayton, Natasha Diaz, Sharon M. Draper, Sharon Flake, Leah Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Janae Marks, Tolá Okogwu, Karen Strong, Renée Watson, and Ibi Zoboi

For fans of Nghi Vo, P. Djèlí Clark, and Alix E. Harrow: a new stand-alone set in the world of the critically acclaimed Murder and Magic series during Prohibition. The Improvisers is the tale of Velma, a barnstorming pilot and former magic bootlegger, who pursues dangerous enchanted items and a mystery that crosses the US and cuts through time--right to the heart of her family's past and present.

Velma Frye is many things. A pilot, a former bootlegger, a well-seasoned traveler, a jazz pianist...and a wielder of celestial magic. She's also a member of the mystical Rhodes family as well as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization, dealing with both simple and complicated cases. And when a pocket watch instigates a magical brawl after one of her flight shows, things become very complicated.

In 1930s America, enchanted items are highly valuable, especially in the waning days of the magical Prohibition. As Velma digs deeper, she discovers the watch is part of a collection of dangerous artifacts manipulating people across the country--and in some cases, leading to their deaths. Something about all this is tickling Velma's memories, and the more she discovers, the more these seemingly isolated incidents feel as if they're building to something apocalyptic.

Connecting the dots isn't easy, though, and further complicating her work is journalist Dillon Harris. He hounds her steps, and while not actively sabotaging her investigation, he also clearly knows more than he lets on. Whether it's his presence that she finds so vexing or his easygoing charm, that's a mystery she isn't interested in solving. Because someone is out there seeding cursed objects with the intent on wreaking havoc, and Velma will have to use every trick in her tool kit, including some well-placed magical improvisation, to win the day.

Focusing on a new generation of the Rhodes family, The Improvisers brims with charming magic, intriguing mystery, and high-flying adventure seeking new heights.

Private eye Ivan Monk takes on his most personal mystery to date--and chases answers deep into America's haunted past.

Long ago, Marshall Spears was a hero of the ballpark. In a time when baseball--and the nation--was segregated, he played in the vaunted Negro Leagues. Decades later, Old Man Spears is living out his days as a fixture in a barbershop in South Central.

One afternoon, PI Ivan Monk--a shop regular--learns that Spears's former teammate was Kennesaw Riles. From family lore, Monk knows Riles is his cousin who was ostracized for the damning testimony he gave during a controversial murder trial in the '60s--testimony that put a firebrand civil rights leader behind bars. Before Monk can hear more, Old Man Spears drops dead while listening to a ballgame on the radio. Even stranger, the long missing Riles shows up at the Old Man's funeral services, and dies soon after.

Monk knows the timing is not a coincidence. He follows the mystery to the Mississippi Delta. There, he unravels the truth behind the murder of two civil rights era activists. Eventually Monk zeroes in on a group of shadowy Mississippi businessmen-turned-philanthropists who may not have reformed their ways as they claim. Far from Los Angeles, the tenacious private eye confronts his own family history as well as a brand of hatred thought to have died with Jim Crow.

When Black private eye Ivan Monk takes on a case in a housing project in South Los Angeles, he finds himself facing off with corrupt police and gang members--and indicted for murder.

Heat is building in the Rancho Tajuata Housing Projects--and not just because it's summer in L.A. When a Mexican family is killed by a firebombing, local rage threatens to grow out of control. The pressure is on to solve this case quickly to help deescalate the tense situation.

At the request of the tenant's security force, P.I. Ivan Monk is called in to find the killer. To track the murderer down, Monk must delve into a tangled history leading all the way back to the 1965 Watts riots--a hunt that reveals layers of buried racism and corruption. Monk sorts through the complexities of gang conflicts and governmental kickbacks, only to find himself at odds with the police, disillusioned by his mentor and, after a fierce struggle with some gang members, under indictment for murder. Monk must race to clear his name before time runs out, and a bad night falls on the Rancho Tajuata Projects, this time for good . . .

Black private eye Ivan Monk's search for a connection between three Black men murdered in Los Angeles leads to the unraveling of a white supremacist conspiracy that spans the West Coast.

The mystery series that launched Gary Phillips's career.

Robert "Scatterboy" Williams is a small-time hustler selling bogus Cartier watches in Pacific Shores, a port city south of Los Angeles. One day, he's gunned down in the street, seemingly at random. Then drug dealer Ronny Aaron is shot and killed leaving a liquor store. Shortly thereafter, college student Jimmy Henderson is rendered comatose after two bullets to his body. The three victims have nothing in common save the neighborhood where they were shot--and the color of their skin.

The police categorize Scatterboy's murder as business as usual. But his girlfriend convinces private eye Ivan Monk to find the killer. What looks like three unrelated shootings of Black men in Southern California will put Monk on a tortuous trail unraveling a larger nefarious plan: the rise of an extremist demagogue.

The mystery that launched Gary Phillips's career: Black private eye Ivan Monk investigates the murder of a Korean shop owner in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

This reissued edition features an introduction by Walter Mosley.

In 1992, Los Angeles burned. In the aftermath of the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots, a ground-breaking ceremony at the infamous intersection of Florence and Normandie unearths the body of a Korean shop owner. Black private eye Ivan Monk searches for the killer--many suspect the motives for the murder were racial. But then another body turns up, and while the FBI and the Rolling Daltons--the largest gang in the city--dog Monk's trail, Monk begins to question just how many people will be involved, and how many will die before he can find the truth.

Malia has big ideas and boundless energy for problem-solving her mom's new job in this joyful picture book that's perfect for young families juggling work and play.

Malia loves two things: spending time with Mom and dreaming up Great Ideas. That's why they call her Great Idea Malia! (Or at least . . . they should!)

When Mom gets a big new job, she is busier than ever. Malia realizes that Mom needs help. Time for some Great Ideas!

1. Malia cleans Mom's office--sweeping her paperwork into the recycling.
2. Malia answers all her emails--with random emojis.
3. Malia even jazzes up her presentation-- with cute dinosaurs and unicorns.

When it turns out this was not the help Mom had in mind, Malia needs a better-than-ever Great Idea to make things right.

Explore the big power of "small" ideas in this relatable story with a lovable mother-daughter duo, fabulous art, and inspirational--if slightly misplaced--energy.

Black women are a force in the gymnastics world. But it wasn't until 1992 that Betty Okino and Dominique Dawes became the first Black women to compete in the Olympics for Team USA. Learn about the Black gymnasts and coaches of the past and present who have made historic firsts, including Simone Biles, Sloane Blakely, and Corrinne Tarver. Then discover how Black women in gymnastics are making a difference on and off the mat.

A priest learns that to serve both his God and mankind, he must betray his faith. In 1995, the gruesome death of Father Alex Shipman, a young Catholic priest who was also the scion of a wealthy, internationally (in)famous political family, leads an investigator to truths the priest uncovered that could shatter-or redeem-the faith of millions. Father Alex Shipman's fall to his gruesome death in a grand, old LA cathedral creates an instant sensation--the talk of every morning news shows coast-to-coast. To fight the suspiciously immediate rumors of suicide from Church officials, Amanda, the Shipman family matriarch, hires a high-profile investigator to find the truth. Sam Youngblood is a Harvard educated black lawyer facing his own crisis of faith as he recovers from the death of his partner. Sam soon discovers that Father Alex Shipman was an uncommon priest. Gay and not celibate, he was devoted to the Faith, while his views on Church doctrine skirted the what many considered the blasphemous. Shipman immersed himself in the discovery and study of ancient biblical texts. Across decades and continents, he had tracked a trove that astounded him. They purported to be the original text of the Book of Mark, to tell the true life of Christ--a blasphemer who played the role of Messiah, though just a man, in a desperate attempt herald the Kingdom on earth as foretold in scripture. It was a Kingdom in which he fervently believed, and one that, having damned his soul to impersonate a God and so do God's will, he would never enter. Alex Shipman believed this new Christ could lead men to a deeper faith, despite smashing to dust all that most Christians held dear. The Church is equally determined that the facts of Shipman's death, and knowledge he searched from Cairo to the Netherlands to uncover, stay buried forever. Sam must discover if they went to ungodly lengths to make that happen.

A husband survives an autopsy and his wife has a complaint, a woman experiences existential dread after a police interrogation, twin sisters find the instrument of their father's ongoing death, and a contestant at a hot dog eating contest won't stop eating no matter what is in front of him. Also, poems about the withering and revival of love thought to be lost and angels with strange motives-this is a book that will make every reader laugh, cry, and hide every part of their body beneath the covers. This is Rice at his absolute best...and at his earliest; the oldest story taken from an 8th grade class assignment from over 30 years ago.

The Aura have been forced out of hiding....

The surviving members of Aura Society are struggling with the transition to the human world. Zarovia Monoceros has a plan that could smooth the way, but before she can fulfill her destiny as Zenith, she needs to deal with the handsome distraction under her own roof.

Hendrex Andromeda wants nothing more but to settle down in his new life outside of Ceres. Free from his duty as Ruling Four, he can finally be himself, except he has no idea what that looks like in the human world. The only part of his future Hendrex is certain about is Zarovia. But in order to be worthy of her love, he needs to face his demons and show her the man he can be...

Under the constant threat of attack, will taking a chance on love be the key to the future for the Aura, or lead to the destruction of everything...

The magical utopia of Ceres and its inhabitants, the Aura, have been a well-guarded secret until now...

Farrah Andromeda is taking charge of her life outside of the Sanctuary of Ceres. A headstrong Aura PI, she spends most of her day chasing cheats and scoundrels. When a young Aura goes missing, Farrah is determined to bring the family the answers they crave. Even if she has to suffer the oversight of sexy Security Force officer Donovan Mars to do so.

When Donovan Mars is summoned by a member of the Ruling Four, the last thing he expects is to be partnered with Farrah Andromeda. Known for her reckless behavior and lack of decorum, Farrah is the exact opposite of what Donovan would want in a partner. He is determined not to be distracted by her beauty and unexpected charm.

Can the two avoid setting their world on fire as the mystery unfolds and sparks between them begin to fly?